Cinderella
by Subkulture
Summary: Gray is Cinderella, abused by a step-parent and siblings after his father remarried all the boy wishes for is to attend the ball, to see the prince. However, to deter him, his step-mother forces his to go through impossible trials and tribulations to attend. A task he sets to fervently. - Directly inspired by the Grimm Brothers Cinderella story.


**Cinderella**

_-Fairy Tail-_

**-C-**

That day Gray's mother died. It was sad and raining. His mother had been sick for a very long time and both him and his father had known that the sickness would claim her eventually. The grave was at the edge of the graveyard, the side closest to there home. Gray visited it every day.

Growing up his mother was always at his side. She baked and cleaned and schooled, it helped Gray become the boy he was. His father worked and helped them become wealthy. Not that any of them desired money, all of them were happy with the quaint life they had. She told him, growing up, to be good to others, to treat people with the respect that he would have them treat him with. Without bringing God into the equation like many families would, she made him believe that if he was good then fate would do him just. But if he fouled then the world would turn on him. His father had simplified it; you reap what you sow, he said.

When Gray's mother was gone him and his father began to struggle. Though they lived a good life his father worried that without someone at home when he went away then something would happen to Gray. His boy was still young, after all.

A year after his mother's death, Gray's father remarried. She wasn't a nice lady, or so Gray thought, but he listened to his mother and on the day his father brought her and her two daughters home he greeted them with a bow and a smile. The daughters had shunned him, pointing and laughing at the mama's boy before sending him away. He had stormed off, his pride urged him to fight back but his mothers words had taken root in his heart, so he did nothing.

For years he suffered under the three tyrants. His father could not be persuaded that they were bad people. He still left for work for long periods of time. That allowed the three women to haunt him. They ordered him to dress in ragged clothes and forced him to his knees with the amount of house work they had him do. The daughters took the credit for this when the father returned but Gray saw a light in his eyes. He knew that his son had done the work.

One day his father took a trip into town but before he left he asked his children what they wanted. They were a wealthy family and whatever they asked for he could get it. The first daughter had asked for clothes, the seconds had asked for jewels, and Gray had asked for nothing at all, only that his father return quickly. When his father asked if he was sure Gray simply said, "The first holy branch that touches your hat on your way home."

In a few days his father returned with a horse full of clothes and jewels just like the daughters had asked for. Gray's father took him into a separate room to present him with his gift, explaining that when he was coming home that stick knocked his hat clean off his head. Gray thanked him for that gift and quickly ran to his mother's grave to plant it.

Gray visited his mother's grave every day since then. It brought him comfort and silence. When he was home he suffered. He was forced to clean the house from top to bottom and was neglected the schooling that he had since he was a baby. They forced him to wear rags that fell off him in strips and he was made to sleep in front of the fireplace. His skin was always covered in ash.

Eventually a tree grew over his mothers grave and it was beautiful. The leaves were dappled with gold and birds from across the country nestled in it. He loved that tree very much. When the daughters discovered that tree they made fun of him and beat on him. He wanted to fight back and his pride ached when he didn't but his mothers words had taken root in his heart, so he did nothing.

Three days before the prince's eighteenth birthday the king announced that there would be a royal ball held every night for three nights where the prince, Natsu, would choose a bride to be his queen. This news had the mother and her daughters in an uproar. They screamed and cheered that because they were beautiful they would be Natsu's brides. Gray did not mention that Natsu could not marry the two of them though he had to admit that they were both very pretty on the outside. He also had to admit that they were bother very rotten on the inside.

Gray decided that he wanted to go to that ball. For one, it would give him a chance to be out of the house, and for two, he did not want the prince to marry his step-sisters. He did not wish such and ill fate on anyone. So, that day he went to his step-mother and asked her if he could to the bath. She laughed at him saying, "What would you do at a ball? You cannot marry the prince and you are filthy."

Gray persisted and after some time she made a deal with him. The deal was that if he picked up all the rocks from the fireplace in one hour then she would allow him to go to the ball. She then scattered thirty white stones into the ash. Angrily he stomped off to the fireplace and set to work.

A half hour later he returned to his step-mother and showed her the thirty silver stones. She scowled at him and told him that he would still not be able to go the ball, saying, "What would you do at a ball? You cannot marry the prince and you are filthy."

Gray persisted and after some time she made a deal with him. The deal was that if he picked up all the rocks from the fireplace in one hour then she would allow him to go to the ball. She then scattered sixty white stones into the ash. Angrily he stomped off to the fireplace and set to work.

Unable to do it alone he asked for the help of the of the pigeons that filled his mothers tree. For every stone they found he would build them one next. The helped him and in fifteen minutes he his step-mother and showed her the sixty silver stones. She scowled at him and told him that he would still not be able to go the ball, saying, "What would you do at a ball? You cannot marry the prince and you are filthy."

Gray persisted and after some time she made a deal with him. The deal was that if he picked up all the rocks from the fireplace in one hour then she would allow him to go to the ball. She then scattered ninety white stones into the ash. Angrily he stomped off to the fireplace and set to work.

Unable to do it alone he asked for the help of the of the pigeons and the crows that filled his mothers tree. For every stone they found he would build them one next. The helped him and in fifteen minutes he his step-mother and showed her the ninety silver stones. She scowled at him and told him that he would still not be able to go the ball, saying, "You will never go to the ball. You cannot marry the prince and you are filthy."

Gray had had enough at that point and on the day of the ball, after the mother and daughters left for the palace he returned to his mothers tree. That day there were no birds in the tree, only the nests that he had built for the birds. His pride urged him to run to the ball and fight back against the mother and daughters but but his mothers words had taken root in his heart, so he did nothing.

But he did not want prince Natsu to marry either of his step-sisters. However his step-mother was right. He was filthy and could not go to the ball looking like this. So he asked the tree to make him a suit. The tree shook golden dust down on him and from that a blue and copper suit was formed. He looked completely different without the rags and the soot. When he showed up to the ball the mother and daughters did not recognize him. The prince did not dance with anyone that night and spent the entire time with Gray.

Gray decided that he liked the prince. He was annoying and loud but he was also honest and sincere, not like the three people whom he had grown up with since a year after his mothers death. So, the next night he went to the tree again and he asked the tree to make him a suit. The tree shook golden dust down on him and from that a blue and silver suit was formed. And again when he showed up to the ball the mother and daughters did not recognize him. The prince still did not dance with anyone that night and spent the entire time with Gray.

Gray decided that he really liked the prince. He was annoying and loud but he was handsome and amusing. They had danced together on the second night. It was just one dance but Natsu had smiled a lot and Gray had smiled back. So, the next night he went to the tree again and he asked the tree to make him a suit. The tree shook golden dust down on him and from that a blue and gold suit was formed. And again when he showed up to the ball the mother and daughters did not recognize him. The prince still did not dance with anyone that night and spent the entire time with Gray.

That night Gray and Natsu danced well into the night. It grew late quickly and Gray began to fear that he would be found out and left in a hurry. As he ran he dropped a shoe on the stairs. Natsu found this shoe and explained the situation to his father, the king, who then talked to Gray's father. The father told him that he had three children so the king decided that he would have each child try on the shoe and whoever it fit would marry the prince.

The first daughter to try on the shoe and a large toe that did not fit in the shoe. Her mother wanted her to marry the prince, because he was wealthy and she wanted to be queen, so she ordered her daughter to cut off her toe. Her daughter did and then the shoe fit. The king then brought the daughter back to the palace.

On the way there they passed a flock of pigeons who sang as they passed:

"There is something wrong,  
the shoe is full of blood,  
the shoe does not fit."

The king looked down and indeed, there was blood in the shoe. So he took the daughter back to the father. The father then told the king that he had another daughter.

The second daughter to try on the shoe and a large heel that did not fit in the shoe. Her mother wanted her to marry the prince, because he was wealthy and she wanted to be queen, so she ordered her daughter to cut off her heel. Her daughter did and then the shoe fit. The king then brought the daughter back to the palace.

On the way there they passed a flock of pigeons who sang as they passed:

"There is something wrong,  
the shoe is full of blood,  
the shoe does not fit."

The king looked down and indeed, there was blood in the shoe. So he took the daughter back to the father. The father then told the king that he had did not have another daughter but he did have a son. The father doubted that it was Gray but the king insisted that Gray try on the shoe.

The shoe did fit Gray and the mother and the daughters mad. The king then brought Gray back to the palace.

The next day the prince and Gray got married. The mother insisted that her daughters walk Natsu and Gray to the church and insisted that they walk them back; she wanted the daughters to be near the prince as much as possible.

As they walked up the the church with one daughter on one side and the other daughter on the other side two crows came down and ate out their left and right eyes respectively. The screamed as they walked up to the church.

After the ceremony and Gray and Natsu were married the daughters walked them back, each on the opposite side. This time two crows came down and ate out their right and left eyes respectively. They collapsed to the ground screaming. The daughters had been blinded for their misdeeds and cruel ways.

Gray and his father moved into the palace with Natsu and the king to live out the rest of their days in luxury and happiness. They had been repaid in full for their kindness while the mother and two daughters had been left to suffer.

* * *

A/N: This isn't a new story and has been completed for a while. I still haven't written fanfiction and still have no plans to despite loving and respecting the medium. However, I'm still writing stories and would always love any feedback given. :)


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